A distinctive urban pavilion

One of the best whitewater courses in Canada, the Pumphouse Race and Training Facility attracts competitors and spectators from around the world and was the site of the 2017 National Championships. Located near downtown Ottawa at the North end of Lebreton Flats, the Pumphouse is distinctive in its urban positioning, allowing athletes to train full-time while attending school or working nearby.

Operating at the Pumphouse site since the mid 1980s, the Ottawa River Runners (ORR) facility provides a Class 2 whitewater site, as well as a moving water beginners area below where the outflow meets the Ottawa River at Victoria Island. Site upgrades, including removal of contaminated soil (a legacy of its industrial past), stabilization of earthen banks and landscaping to blend into the LeBreton Flats renewal, were completed between 2004 to 2008.

ORR had been using large metal shipping-type containers as both storage and change rooms for nearly 20 years. The new facility offers almost 3,000 sq. ft. of shelter and storage space, integrated with the landscape in an environmentally friendly way, and is movable, should the need arise.

The location of the pavilion was carefully studied and ultimately minimizes the impact on the natural environment while maximizing views and vistas from both the new building and surrounding areas. The building and landscape are fused together to insert an iconic form that will represent the ORR organization for years to come into the existing setting. ◼